Hi, I’m Mary! I’m a fifth-year and I’m studying political science, with a minor in religious studies.I adore learning about world religions and history, especially how different religions address and navigate ideas of the afterlife. Outside of school I enjoy crafts and watching cheesy crime shows from the 2000s. I’m really looking forward to learning about modern Indigenous history; what little I learned in high school was focused on the 15th-19th centuries. I also know that what little I did learn was whitewashed and watered down so I’m looking forward to hopefully learning from actual Indigenous people and communities. Most of my current knowledge of Native American issues is from social media, which has been a really helpful tool but is not all encompassing, and not always the most accurate. I hope we get to learn about all the different Indigenous religious beliefs and practices too.
Hi Mary! Welcome to HIST 281! I’m glad your here and I look forward to your insights this term! I am equally looking forward to topics beyond the 19th century– the twentieth century is so rich with different sources and media. We will be doing a little work on Indigenous religious beliefs, particularly around the American Indian Religious Freedom Act (1978). You might also check out the week 2 from HIST 181 last spring, where we talked about Creation Stories (https://hist181.jenniferandrella.com/schedule/). There are a few videos linked there that you might find interesting!
I look forward to seeing how you engage with the course material and contribute to our discussions!